Improvement in centrifugal liquoring apparatus



0. MATTHIESSEN. Centrifugal Liquoring Apparatus. N 0. 221,894.

' Patenfed Nov. 18, 181 79.

wkmssmx TJNITED STATES PATENT omen FRANZ MATTHIESSEN, OF IRVINGTON, NEWYORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN CENTRIFUGAL LIQUORING APPARATUS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 221,894, dated November18, 1879 application filed June 24, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANZ O. Marianas- SEN, of Irvington, New York, haveinvented certain Improvements in Centrifugal Liquoring Apparatus, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My improvements relate to the class of devices used to pack theinterstices between the sugar molds in a centrifugal machine and thoseparts of the machine with .which the sugar-molds are in proximity, forthe purpose of preventing the escape, otherwise than throughthe sugarcontained in the molds, of white liquor, whichis introduced into acentral reservoir or chamber in the machine preparatory to being drivenby centrifugal force through the sugar contained in the molds; and myinvention consists in providing in the floor of the basketpacking-strips of soft rubber, upon which the inner edge of the bottomof each mold rests, and in providing for the inner edge of the top ofeach mold similar packing-strips, which are affixed to the under side ofan annularplate, preferably made up of two or moreindependently-removable segments, which are supported in horizontalpositions on the top of vertical standards affixed to the floor of thebasket within the circle of molds. These plates are provided with clamping-screws, by means of which they are pressed firmly down, so that thepacking-straws on their under sides bear closely upon the inner edges ofthe sugar-molds, making tight joints therewith and preventing the escapeof white liquor over the tops of the molds. The packing-strips in thefloor of the basket, upon which the mold rests, prevent the escape ofWhite liquor under the bottom of the mold. The vertical intersticesbetween the adjacent molds are closed by means of a packingstrip affixedto the outer edge of a sliding plate moving in aradial path betweensuitable guidewalls affixed to the floor of the basket.

When the machine is rotated the vertical sliding plates are drivenoutward by centrifugal force, and the packingstrips upon their outeredges are respectively held firmly against the inner vertical edges ofthe molds. I preferably provide each sliding plate with a spring strongenough to pull'it radially inward when it is relieved from the action ofcentrifugal force by the stoppage of the machine.

The interior of the basketma-y be left open to form a receivin g-chamberfor the whiteliquor, or the usual central reservoir may be erected uponthe upper end of the spindle upon which the basket is mounted, and maybe provided with spouts projecting downward and outward, for the purposeof conducting the white liquor from the central reservoir into theliquoringcells formed, respectively, by the several vertical slidingplates and by the bottom of the basket and the annular plate whichcarries the packingstrips for the upper edges of the molds.

In the accompanying drawings, representing a centrifugal machinecontaining my improvements, Figure l is a top view, showing the annularplate which forms the top of the cells made of four segments, one ofwhich is removed for the purpose of showing the radial sliding platesand the standards upon which the segments are supported. Fig. 2 is acentral vertical section through the li nemc on Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a viewof the under side of one of the segments, showing the packing-strips forthe tops of the molds. Fig. 4 is an edge view of the segment.

The drawings represent the ordinary basket A of a centrifugal machinemounted upon the usual vertical spindle B, and containing the usualsugar-molds 0, arranged in a circle around the outer portion of thebasket.

The floor a of the basket is provided with slightly-projectingpacking-strips a, upon which the inner edges of the molds respectivelyrest.

Vertical plates D are each loosely contained between two verticalguide-walls, E E, by,

means of which each vertical plate is guided so that it moves radiallyoutward when the machine is set in motion, and a packing-strip, d,inserted 011 its outer vertical edge, is there- .by compressed againstone of the vertical joints between the adjacent side walls of the molds.

If desired, the sliding plates 1) may be provided with the horizontalslots d for admitting the friction-rollers 0, having their axes in thevertical guide-walls E or the axes of the rollers may be pins insertedtransversely through the sliding plate, and the rollers may be thuscarried on the plates, the guide-walls E being slotted horizontally toprovide a horizontal track for the rollers on either side of the slidingplate.

A spring, D, with which each sliding plate may be provided, tends topull it radially inward. The strength of this spring, however, is soproportioned that when the basket is rotated the centrifugal force,tending to drive the sliding plate radially outward, preponderates andovercomes the force of the spring.

The spaces F between the guide-walls are the liquoring-cells, and thesecells are closed at the top by the removable annular plate G, which ispreferably made of four independently-removable segments, 9.

In several of the cells the guide-walls are carried up and joined at thetop to form resting-places H for the segments 9. Preferably theseresting-places are provided with elastic packing h, surrounding avertical bolt, h, which projects upward through one of the slotted holesin the segments 1 to receive the nut 7L2, by means of which the segmentis clamped down.

The drawings represent the annular plate G as being composed of foursegments, 9 g g g, each of which is provided with a handle, r, by meansof which the segment may be lifted, and with two slots, 9 which are eachparallel with a radial line bisccting the center of the segment.

The resting-places for the segments conform to the shape and position ofthe slots when the segments are clamped down, and the elastic packingsh, upon which the segments rest, therefore preventthe escape of liquorthrough the slots On the under side of each segment, near its outeredge, I provide the packing-strips G, which bear, respectively, upon theupper inner edges of'the molds, and prevent the escape of white, liquorover the tops of the molds when the segment is clamped down.

In operation, when it is required to remove the molds, the nuts 71/ ofone of the segments are unscrewed, and the segment is then lifted outand slid inward, thus clearing its outer edge from the sugar-molds andpermitting their removal. When other molds have been introduced in theplaces of those removed, the segment is returned to its former positionand clamped down, and the next segment is re moved in the same way, andso on until all the molds have been changed and the segments clampeddown into place, when the machine is ready to be put into operation.

White liquor may be poured into the central portion of the basketthrough the central opening of the annular plate G; or, if desired, theusual central reservoir may be mounted upon the spindle, and the whiteliquor, being poured into that, may be directed by means of spouts intothe several liquoringcells, from which it will be driven by centrifugalforce through the sugar contained in the molds.

It will be observed that the effect of clamping down the segmentscomposing the annular plate G is not only to compress the packing on thetop of the molds, but also the packingstrips inserted in the bottom ofthe basket, upon which the inner edges of the molds rest.

The radial sliding plates D are so proportioned in heightas to movewithout much friction, and when they are thrust outward the upper end ofthe packing-strip with which the outer edge of each plate is provided iscompressed against the edge of the packing-strip G on the under side ofthe segmental plate g, and its lower end is compressed against thepacking-strip a, inserted in the floor of the basket.

The radial sliding plates may, if desired, be combined with mechanism bymeans of which their radial movements may be effected positively. Suchmechanism is now employed for moving so-called liquoring-boxes outwardand inward against and away from the molds; but there will usually be nonecessity for the employment of such mechanism, as the centrifugalforces generated by the rotation of the machine will be found to drivethe partitions outward with force enough to press their packing-stripstightly against the edges of the adjacent vertical sides of the molds.

I claim as my im'eution in centrifugul liquorin g zipparatusl. A seriesof sugar-molds concentrically arranged in the basket of a centrifugalmachine, the floor of which contains elastic packing-strips, upon whichthe inner edges of the sugar-molds respectively rest, in combinationwith an annular plate provided with packingstrips, which bearrespectively upon the inner edges of the tops of the sugar-molds, andwith clamping devices by means of which the plates are pressed downward,thereby compressing the packing-strips respectively upon the inner edgesof the top and bottom of the molds, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

2. A series of sugar-molds concentrically arrangedin the basket ofacentrifugal machine, in combination with sliding vertical platesprovided upon their outer edges with packing-strips, and containedbetween stationary guides, which direct the movements of the slidingplates in radial paths in line respectively with the several intersticesbetween the sides ofadjaceut molds, substantially as shown anddescribed.

3. An annular plate forming the tops of the liquoring-cells, composed ofindependently-removable segments, each provided upon its under outeredge with elastic packing-strips, and provided with clamping devices, bythevoperation of which the packing-strips can be firmly compressed uponthe tops of the molds, substantially as shown and described.

4. The segments g, provided with the slots 9, in combination with thebolts h and nuts k substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

F. O. MATTHIESSEN.

Witnesses:

M. L. ADAMS, G O. W. MIATT.

